Poll: Would you be happy shooting a 6 pointer?

[Jim Timber]

At the same time, they're horrible hunters and can't make contact with our mature bucks (they can hardly hit the ones they do shoot).

It's certainly something I'll be thinking about as I sit perched outside that bedding area later this week. :)

 

[tooln]

I've seen some dandy 6's and some really small ones. I vote yes for a larger one. Not many make it past being a 6 in my area with all the Amish.

 

[kabic]

I've seen some dandy 6's and some really small ones. I vote yes for a larger one. Not many make it past being a 6 in my area with all the Amish.

I answered the poll before reading the first post...If I see a "nice" 6 I would shoot it...

 

[wklman]

I voted no. I like big deer and the hunt that goes with them.

 

[foggy]

Giving more thought to that all the time. Currently we have a very good buck to doe ratio. Our harvest plans vary each year.....somewhat based on the camera survey and whom in our group is pulling the trigger.

This year I would rather shoot a spike or fork with a decent body size and let the sixes and eights go for better racks the following year(s).

 

[sandbur]

Giving more thought to that all the time. Currently we have a very good buck to doe ratio. Our harvest plans vary each year.....somewhat based on the camera survey and whom in our group is pulling the trigger.

This year I would rather shoot a spike or fork with a decent body size and let the sixes and eights go for better racks the following year(s).

I like that.
In the long run, we can only control what we harvest as individuals and as landowners. We can discuss things with neighbors and hope they make good decisions, but their circumstances are probably different than ours. I try to not be too critical of neighbors as long as they are law abiding.

 

[bueller]

Being new to bow hunting I struggle with my own feelings on this subject. I've gun hunted for many years and our properties just don't produce many buck sightings of any age during the rifle season. Bow hunting the same properties is a totally different world. Its fairly common to see younger bucks but not always in bow range presenting a good shot. Mature bucks are still very uncommon. But we gotten pretty good at catching them on our cameras, mostly at night of course. I really want to get a nice 3.5+ buck, never have before. But as bow season goes on and my available days to hunt dwindle down, I ponder what to do. Do I try to take a younger buck if it presents a clean shot? If I do obviuously I'm giving up the opportunity to get what I'm really after for the season. But who knows if I would even see one of my targets anyways.

For now the younger ones still make me happy so that's what I lean towards. Hopefully in another year or two I will "graduate" up and put some serious time and effort strictly towards a wall hanger.

 

[West Branch]

Being new to bow hunting I struggle with my own feelings on this subject. I've gun hunted for many years and our properties just don't produce many buck sightings of any age during the rifle season. Bow hunting the same properties is a totally different world. Its fairly common to see younger bucks but not always in bow range presenting a good shot. Mature bucks are still very uncommon. But we gotten pretty good at catching them on our cameras, mostly at night of course. I really want to get a nice 3.5+ buck, never have before. But as bow season goes on and my available days to hunt dwindle down, I ponder what to do. Do I try to take a younger buck if it presents a clean shot? If I do obviuously I'm giving up the opportunity to get what I'm really after for the season. But who knows if I would even see one of my targets anyways.

For now the younger ones still make me happy so that's what I lean towards. Hopefully in another year or two I will "graduate" up and put some serious time and effort strictly towards a wall hanger.

Similar thoughts here. I recently got back into bow hunting and shot a doe in 2013. I have never shot a buck older than a 1.5 year old spike, 4 and 5 ptrs. I will be shooting a young buck if it gives me a shot with the bow. I will likely only hunt a day or two of rifle this year but I will pass up deer with the rifle I would shoot with a bow.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Yes. I have hunted for 30 years in Mass. and have seen VERY FEW mature deer. If I get a shot a legal buck this fall I'll take it. After that, I am more selective and will pass on younger deer. But I do like to have one in the freezer.

 

[sticknstring]

^^^ Sounds similar to where I hunt. I pass 3-6 yearlings each fall in hopes of seeing something decent. By decent, that's a 2 yr old or older in my area. Most years I won't have a 3 + on camera during daylight. Usually 1 or 2 mature bucks will come through during the rut, but only at night. I eat a lot of tags.

 

[sticknstring]

You will have much better results bow hunting mature bucks during the rut. Dont burn yourself or your stands out early. Take time off during the rut and hunt hard. In 40 years of hunting the same farm we have taken only 2 book deer prior to 10/20. Almost all book/mature deer are taken the first 10 days of november.

I haven't hunted this property yet this year. Been a doe factory all summer long w/ plenty of food. I start last week of October about the time the youngsters start cruising hard. I've seen my two biggest bucks opening week of archery season. The rut is a crapshoot.

 

[bueller]

You will have much better results bow hunting mature bucks during the rut. Dont burn yourself or your stands out early. Take time off during the rut and hunt hard. In 40 years of hunting the same farm we have taken only 2 book deer prior to 10/20. Almost all book/mature deer are taken the first 10 days of november.

I can't disagree with you. But I also don't have much if any time to take off from work and the family during the rut. As the kids get older I hope to have more time to hunt the rut.

 

[j-bird]

I said "NO" but that isn't entirely true.

For my buck tag I would really like to harvest a 4 year old or older buck. However, I have a freezer to fill this year and if I am lacking does to tag and things start looking a little late in the game a young 6 pointer could easily go down. It isn't my first choice, but sometimes plans change. If I have the freezer full and I don;t get a swing at the buck I really want - then that six pointer gets a pass without any hesitation.

 

[foggy]

Usually.....we try to harvest from the top 10% based on my camera survey.

Then too.....we gotta decide to take one or two deer for meat. This could be a buck or does based on what our numbers look like. We have a discussion.....make a decision.....and stick to the plan - within limits.

Our kids know they get a green light on most targets....but they really don't want / need special consideration any longer......as they have taken (and passed) a few deer now.....and they know the score.

Last year my grandson watched 20 does, small bucks, and fawns on opening morning.....and let them all walk. He saw several more deer later.....but let them walk too......in his quest for a good buck. I'm proud of him. :)

 

[chummer]

I have two sets of standards. At camp any 2.5 year old is on the table and a lot of them are 4-5 pointers. Now when I hunt the suburban deer behind my house anything other than fawns get shot. I get one or two of these a year and I only hunt it a handful of times. Nothing beats a 50 yard drag to the back door. I still get the same rush shooting these deer.

 

[bueller]

Usually.....we try to harvest from the top 10% based on my camera survey.

Then too.....we gotta decide to take one or two deer for meat. This could be a buck or does based on what our numbers look like. We have a discussion.....make a decision.....and stick to the plan - within limits.

Our kids know they get a green light on most targets....but they really don't want / need special consideration any longer......as they have taken (and passed) a few deer now.....and they know the score.

Last year my grandson watched 20 does, small bucks, and fawns on opening morning.....and let them all walk. He saw several more deer later.....but let them walk too......in his quest for a good buck. I'm proud of him. :)

Our numbers are improving but I'd rather take a wandering yearling buck than resident doe. As you eluded to, that can change year to year.

 

[Greta&Gus]

Imo, freezer meat s/b doe unless populations are low. If a buck needs to be taken I would rather see a nubbie or a yearling before a 2.5yo. The 2.5 yo has already survived everything thrown at him and is only 12 months away.

That is a valid point.

 

[Brush Creek]

I wont shoot yearlings or 2.5s. But i sure remember those early archery days where the first buck was shot. Sometimes i miss those days.

 

[sandbur]

I wont shoot yearlings or 2.5s. But i sure remember those early archery days where the first buck was shot. Sometimes i miss those days.

Some of us only see one buck per season.

 

[bueller]

Some of us only see one buck per season.

So do u shoot or not shoot? Before I started with a bow it was more common for me to go a whole season without a seeing a buck vs seeing one.